Gravity clock-escapement



(No Model.)

P. GUNDORPH. GRAVITY GLOGK ESGAPEMENT.

No. 403,999. Patented May 28, 1889.

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WITNESSES,

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UNITED STATES FERDINAND GUNDORPH,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

GRAVITY CLOCK-ESCAPEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,999, dated May 28, 1889.

Application filed September '7, 1888. Serial No. 284,811. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern;

Be it known that I, FERDINAND GUNDORPH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of hlultnomah and State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Clock-Escapement, of which the following is a specification.

The objectof my invention is to give impulses of a constant or unvarying power to a clock-pendulum, and at the same time to produce a good electrical contact by each vibration of the pendulum, which I obtain by the following-described construction, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of Wl1lCll- Figure l is a central vertical section. Fig. 2 is a front view. Fig. 3 is aplan of the crosshead 13. Fig. lis a perspective view of a re volving shaft with arm and weight.

This invention consists in the peculiar combinations, the construction, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all as more fully herein after described, and then definitely pointed out in the claims.

I11 Fig. 1, A A A is a metal bracket screwed onto the cloclccase, intended as a support for the movement, the wheels of which gear into the pinion 1), Fig. 1. The lower pivot of this pinion passes down through the bracket, transmitting a revolving motion to the carrier r and arm 25. From front to the back, in a line with the pinion, are two slots in the bracket to receive the suspensionsprings ff for the pendulum to hang on.

In Fig. 1, D D is a tubular metal piece, with a metal plug, g, screwed into the lower end, said plug having in its upper end a pivot-rest, a, and its extreme lower end is formed into a connectingjoint, g, for the pendulum-rod 7c. On the other end of D D is a cross head or bar, 13 B, (see Fig. 3,) provided on each end with a slot to receive one of the steel springs f and f", before referred to, which are set at right angles to the bar B, said springs having holes in their extreme ends, so that when they are put through the slots in the bracket A A a clamp, \V, can be pinned on each, and in this manner secured to the bracket. These suspensioirsprings form the center of oscillation of the pendulum.

At V V are shown two hard-rubber screws screwed into the bracket, into which are insert-ed two platinum ba11king-pins,ro, which may be secured there by smaller pins passing through said screws and banking-pins, as shown. To each of these pins is connected in any suitable way aconducting-wire,an,both of which are to be connected to the negative pole of a battery, and to the positive pole of which is to be connected another wire, 0, which is shown connected to the bracket A.

\Vithin this frame-like head-piece of the pendulum there is pivoted a small shaft, S, (see Fig. 4,) in line with the axis of the pendulum-rod, with its lower pivot resting on the plug 9 at in a jeweled hole. This shaft S has an arm, I, inserted in the shaft at the point of oscillation of the pendulum at a right angle to the shaft S, of an inch long, (more or less,) which can revolve freely in a substantially horizontal plane. 011 this arm 15 is placed a small weight, 0, from five to ten grains. As this weight is subject to gravitation and only supported by the arm 25, having one end resting on the pivot-rest a: in the pend ulum, the weight 0 will consequently have a tendency to move the pendulum to one side or bring it out of plumb until the free end of the arm tand weight 0 have descended about half a degree, when the end of the arm 2, projecting through the weight 0, will disengage itself by passing below the banking-pin, when the arm t and weight 0 will be moved round horizontally half a turn by the carrier 0', firmly connected with the pivot of pinion 1), until the arm t strikes againstthe otherbank- C has impelled the pendulum to the other side about half a degree, when the armt will pass under the end of the banking-pin and move round half a turn again until the armt strikes the banking-pin, Fig. 2,1", and so it will keep on, giving uniform impulses to the pendulum as long as the wheels of the movement turn the pinion 9;), Fig. 1. If the move ment is desired to be used as a circuit-breaker and the wires are connected as above described,the electric currentwill pass from the bracket A A through the suspensionsprings ff, the cross-head l3 13, the shaft S, the arm tto one of the platinum (or any contact metal) banking-pins, and through the wire 92, and the electrical circuit is closed each time the in g-pin, and be arrested there until the weight,

arm 25 strikes a banking-pin. The circuit will be broken when the arm 25 leaves the bankingpin, and in this way an electro-magnet can be operated by each vibration of the pendulum without any irregularity to the impulses given to the pendulum.

Instead of the carrier acting on the arm 2, it may act on the small pin E in the shaft S, (see Fig. 4,) which reduces friction on the arm 25.

It is evident that the weight may be dispensed with if the arm 25 is made heavy enough, as all that is necessary is that said arm shall have sufficient weight to keep up the vibration of the pendulum by its change from one side of the pendulum to the other.

In clook-escapements, even those arranged with constant power, oil .is needed, which in course of time will be thick, and the arc of vibration will alter, and consequently the time of its duration. In my escapement oil is not required. It has been in use without oil for a year, and the pendulum swings the same as when first started.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a gravity-escapement and in combination with the pendulum and the motor thereof, a revolving arm derivingmotion from the motor, and means, as the pins 02 o, for intermittently arresting the motion of the said arm, substantially as described.

2. In a gravity-escapement and in combina tion with the motor and pendulum thereof, a revolving arm connected to the pendulum and driven by the motor, and means, as the pins 1) o, for intermittently arresting said arm, substantially as described.

3. In a gravity-escapement and in comb ination with the motor and pendulum thereof, an arm connected to the pendulum and driven by the motor, and means, as the pins 0; v and wires 11 n 0, for making and breaking an electrical circuit, substantially as described.

4. In a gravity-escapement and in combination with the pendulum and motor thereof, a revolving arm deriving motion from the ,motor, and means, as the pins Q) 1;, for intermittently arresting the motion of said arm, substantially as described.

driven by said pinion, a carrier revolvedby said shaft, a revolving arm, t, connected with the pendulum and revolved by the carrier, and means, as the pins 1) v, for intermittently arresting said arm, substantially as described.

7. In a gravity-escapement and in combination with the motor thereof, a pendulum having a tube at its upper end, a shaft revolving in said tube, an arm attached to said shaft, a carrier connecting said arm with the motor, and means, as the pins 0) o, for intermittently arresting the motion of the arm and shaft, substantially as described.

8. In a gravity-escapement and in combination with the motor thereof, a pendulum having a tube at its upper end, a shaft carrying an arm and revolving in said tube, a pivotrest supporting said shaft, a carrier con nected with the motor and driving the shaft, and the pins 1* v, for intermittently arresting said revolving arm and shaft, substantially as described.

9. In a gravity-escapement and in combination with the motor thereof, a vertical shaft connected with the motor, a carrier connected with said shaft, a cross-head, B, having suspension-sprin gs f, connected to a suitable support, a tube, D, beneath the cross-head, a revolvin g shaft, S, working in said tube, an arm, t, carried by said shaft, a weight, 0, adjustable on said arm, the pins 1) t", for arresting the motion of the arm, and the pendulum-rod it, connected to the bottom of the tube, substantially as described.

FERDINAND GUNDORPH.

NVitnesses: e

E. W. CORNELL, L. O. HEURICHSEN. 

